Lehigh University Athletics
DePalo, Troyan garner major honors; two others all-league
3/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh’s stellar season in 2004-2005 was rewarded on Tuesday, as the Mountain Hawks captured two of the Patriot League’s four major awards. Senior forward Jessica DePalo garnered Patriot League Player of the Year honors, and Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan was named the league’s Coach of the Year. In addition, guards Mary Frances Hynoski and Sara Ellis were both named to the All-League Second Team. The all-league teams, voted on by the Patriot League’s eight coaches, were announced Tuesday.
DePalo, a senior captain, led the team in scoring 17 times this season, averaging a Patriot League-best 18.0 points per game. She also leads the league in field goals (206) and points (486), while pacing her team in blocked shots (35). The
Along the way, DePalo set several personal milestones. She became the eleventh player in Lehigh history to surpass the 1,000 career point plateau. DePalo currently sits in fourth place on Lehigh’s all-time scoring list with 1,416 career points, and she needs only 14 more points to join Anne Tierney ’03 as the only Lehigh players ever to record two seasons of more than 500 points. DePalo’s 615 rebounds are the fifth-most in Lehigh basketball history.
The senior was also recognized for her hard work in the classroom. A marketing major with a 3.34 grade point average, DePalo earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District II honors for the second consecutive season.
DePalo is the first Mountain Hawk to be named Patriot League Player of the Year.
“Jess is very deserving of such an accolade,” said Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan. “She has had another outstanding year on the court and has served as an exceptional leader for the program, playing a significant role in our team’s success.”
In her tenth season at Lehigh, head coach Sue Troyan becomes the first Lehigh head coach to be named the league’s Coach of the Year. She guided this year’s team to 18 regular season wins – the most in her tenure. Along the way, the Mountain Hawks posted a school record ten wins against Patriot League opponents, while posting a Lehigh record 11 home wins. Lehigh’s No. 2 seed in the upcoming Patriot League tournament is the highest ever for Lehigh since the inception of the league tournament in 1991. A 1988 graduate of
Guards Mary Frances Hynoski and Sara Ellis were also recognized for their strong play by earning All-Patriot League Second Team accolades. Hynoski, a senior, started all 27 regular season games for Lehigh, leading the league in rebounding during league play with 8.7 boards per night. Her 56.1% shooting percentage for the season was second in the Patriot League. Hynoski also set career highs in points per game (8.5), rebounds per game (7.4), assists per game (2.9), and steals per contest (2.5). Hynoski recorded six double-doubles during the regular season, more than any other player in the Patriot League.
After capturing All-Freshman Team honors in 2003-04, sophomore Sara Ellis earns All-League Second Team honors in 2004-05. Ellis tied for third in the league in scoring, registering 14.6 points per night. She scored over 20 points four different times this season. In addition, the sharpshooter continued to connect from beyond the three-point arc. Ellis led the team and ranked second in the Patriot League with 67 three-point field goals. Earlier this season, she became the fastest Lehigh player to reach 100 career three’s, and she enters the tournament needing only one more three-point field goal to tie the all-time single season record at Lehigh.
“Mary and Sara have both played a significant role in our team’s success this year,” Troyan points out. “Mary had a breakout year this season serving as the team’s playmaker on both ends of the court. Sara stepped up her game as a sophomore, becoming a significant perimeter threat for as our program, as well as a proven scorer.”
Lehigh begins its quest for a Patriot League title on Thursday when the second-seeded Mountain Hawks (18-9, 10-4 Patriot League) take on No. 7 Bucknell (10-17, 4-10 Patriot League) in a first round tournament match-up. Tip-off is scheduled for
2005 All-Patriot League First Team
Name | School | Class | Position | Hometown |
Lisa Andrews | Holy Cross | Sr. | Center | |
Joanna Barnes | American | Sr. | Guard | |
Emily Braseth | Colgate | Sr. | Forward | |
Lehigh | Sr. | Forward | ||
Maggie Fontana | Holy Cross | Sr. | Forward |
2005 All-Patriot League Second Team
Name | School | Class | Position | Hometown |
Nikki Curtis | Navy | Sr. | Forward | |
Lehigh | So. | Guard | ||
Cara Enright | Army | Fr. | Guard | |
Shavonne Holden | Army | Sr. | Guard | |
Lindsey Hollobaugh | Bucknell | So. | Guard | |
Lehigh | Sr. | Guard |
2005 All-Patriot League Rookie Team
Name | School | Class | Position | Hometown |
Laura Aloisi | Holy Cross | Fr. | Guard | |
Kesha Champion | Bucknell | Fr. | Guard | |
Cara Enright | Army | Fr. | Guard | |
Hope Foster | Bucknell | Fr. | Center | |
Ashley McLaughlin | Holy Cross | Fr. | Forward | |
Vanessa Van De Venter | Fr. | Forward |
Player of the Year: Jessica DePalo, Lehigh
Defensive Player of the Year: Megan Ballard, Colgate
Rookie of the Year: Cara Enright, Army
Coach of the Year: Sue Troyan, Lehigh (first honor)
